


Three Times McCree Saved Fareeha, and One Time Pharah Saved McCree

by Red_Tigress



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Blackwatch Era, Blackwatch Jesse McCree, Families of Choice, Friendship/Love, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Recall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-05
Updated: 2017-06-05
Packaged: 2018-11-09 09:41:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11101896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Red_Tigress/pseuds/Red_Tigress
Summary: Three times Jesse saved lil'Fareeha.





	1. Chapter 1

McCree groaned as the incessant knocking dragged him out of a heavy sleep. He moaned something at the doorway, and stumbled out of bed, his aches and pains from the mission yesterday making themselves known very unpleasantly. He couldn't keep in the moan that escaped him when he stood up, his calves painfully clenching. He made his way stiffly towards the door.  

Despite his incoherent moans, unsurprisingly the knocking at his door continued. He growled a little louder, and practically fell against the panel when he opened it.  

A small whirlwind crashed painfully into his already sore knees and he yelped in surprise. It continued its forward momentum behind him. Slow to gather his thoughts, he turned back towards his bed, where he saw tiny legs and sneakers burrowing under it. 

"What in the name of spit are you doin' under there?" He growled. He reached down for one of the small ankles, but it zipped out of his hand. 

"My mom's coming, pretend you didn’t see me!" Came the muffled voice from under the bed.  

McCree sighed, knowing full well the only time Fareeha hid from her mom was when she was in trouble.  

"Listen, whatever muck you've got yourself into, I want no part of it," he got down on his hands and knees, peering under the bed.  

Fareeha had managed to turn around, and was now peering back at him angrily. Her dark hair, which was usually so pristinely brushed, was a tangled mess around her face. "I didn’t get myself into any _muck_ ," she challenged back, voice annoyingly commanding for an eight year old.  

McCree shifted, taking some weight off his bruised knees. He raised his eyebrows at her. "Uh-huh. Then why you hidin'?" 

Her eyes darted downward, her first outward sign of guilt. "I...may not have done any homework for the past two days." She glanced up at him angrily again. "But it's _geometry_ , and the sun was out for the first time in _days_ , and Gabe was playing basketball with me!" 

McCree sighed. "I don't like geometry either, but you realize hiding from her now is just gonna make it worse later?" 

"Please, if I can hide in here a few hours, I can get into my account from your tablet, and finish most of it, and then she won't be so mad! Please Jesse!" She made little praying hands at him. 

Damnit, when had he developed such a soft spot? She was still mouthing the word please at him when he rolled his eyes and stood up. "Fine, but you _have_ to finish it." A squeal of delight sounded, right when there was another knock on his door. 

Fareeha froze and crawled further under the bed while McCree went to open it. 

He wasn't surprised to see Ana there, her eyes already narrowed suspiciously at him. "Have you seen my daughter?" 

Despite himself, McCree could feel the cold sweat immediately break out on the base of his neck. "Uh, no ma'am. Just been restin' since we got back yesterday." 

Captain Amari's eyes kept their suspicious look. "Are you...sure? She is very fond of you." Her gaze drifted over his shoulder, right towards the bed. "And she is also fond of hiding." 

"The only thing hidin' here is a normal sleep pattern," he grumbled. Ana shot him a dirty look. "Uh, sorry. If I see her, I'll call you, how's that?" 

She lingered in the doorway a moment longer, eyes still scanning the room. "Be sure to do that. My apologies for disturbing you." She turned away briskly, her coat fluttering behind her. 

McCree closed the door and sank against it, his heart pounding. A moment later, the wind was knocked out of his lungs as a small body barrelled into his.  

"Thank you Jesse, you saved me!" 

"Ugh, just be quiet while you do your homework so I can sleep," he growled, but he couldn't stop from smiling as he patted her hair.  


	2. Chapter 2

Moral on base was bad.  

It had been a while since Blackwatch had failed so utterly in a mission. They hadn't been cocky in their success, but they had certainly been unsuspecting.  

And what was worse, the specialty members of Overwatch had been in harm's way because Blackwatch hadn't done their jobs.  

Commander Reyes had locked himself in his office, presumably to pour over videos, and review records and files and pick out exactly what went wrong. Commander Morrison was probably doing the same thing.  

McCree actually had been off-duty, recovering from another mission, but the mood was so bad in the hallways, he had essentially confined himself to his room. 

He'd also heard Captain Amari had been injured. Badly. 

He wanted to see her, but non-essential personnel were being kept out of the med-bay due to the number of injuries they had. But it wasn't long before he began to feel a little punchy, and essentially started wandering down the halls of his own accord.  

His path took him towards Ana's rooms, and he hesitated when he realized where he was. It occurred to him for the first time that Fareeha may have been on the base. He hadn't seen her in a few days, and he knew she occasionally stayed with her father but...was she here now? 

He found her door and knocked. 

There wasn't an answer.  

McCree heaved a full-bodied sigh, wondering when he had started _looking_ for kids. Ridiculous. He was a covert government agent and killer. Ex gang-member. When had an eight year old become so important to him?  

Just as he turned away, he heard the door open slightly. 

Fareeha was standing there, clad in blue pajamas with little rocket ships on them. It would have been cute, but McCree could see the tear tracts running down her face plain as day. Despite himself, his heart started racing with worry. "Jesse?" She wiped her eyes. 

He kneeled down, and gave her a sad smile. "Hey, kiddo. Can I come in?" 

She nodded silently, moving away from the door. He followed her inside to a table that had papers and textbooks strewn across it. She climbed up onto a chair and picked up her pencil. 

"So uh...whatcha been up to?" McCree grimaced. That sounded stupid even to his ears. 

"Homework," she said quietly. As he watched, she pulled her pencil across the paper in a straight line, and then changed angles to make a continuous shape. 

"I see," he said. He pulled out a chair and swung it around, leaning on the back of it as he sat down.  "How're you holdin' up?" 

"Fine," she said just as quietly, pencil changing direction suddenly. The lines were beginning to cross over each other. She didn't look up. 

"Have you eaten today?" 

"Not hungry." The paper was beginning to look like an angry dust ball. 

"Well, I haven't eaten. Do you want to go to the mess with me? I could use the company." 

Her pencil paused on the paper. "If we go...can I wear your hat?" She whispered. 

"Sure thing," he said, taking it off his head and placing it slowly on the table. Her tiny fingers clutched the brim, and she put it on her own head. It was far too big for her, and it sank down over her eyes. 

She got off the chair and moved over to the door where there were some small, fluffy white slippers. She shoved them on her feet and turned towards him. She looked utterly ridiculous, but the look on her face was so heartbreaking, McCree couldn't even think to laugh.  

He got up and went to the door. He offered his hand. 

Fareeha wasn't really a clingy kid, but she still took it. He gave her a reassuring squeeze and together they stepped into the hallway. 

Fareeha was silent the whole way instead of her usual chatty self. When they got to the mess, McCree loaded up a plate for them to share, not letting go of her hand. The few other people that were here this late knew Captain Amari's daughter, so no one laughed or stared. It all felt...comfortable.  

McCree sat down across from Fareeha, pushing the plate a little more in her direction. He took a chicken nugget and nibbled on it slowly. Fareeha still didn't make a move toward the food, eyes downcast. 

"You worried about your mom?" 

Her lower lip trembled and he could see her eyes start to well up with tears. He dropped his food and moved quickly over to her side the table right as she let out a loud sob. 

"Hey, hey, hey," he soothed wrapping her up into his arms. She let herself be pulled into him, but didn't make another sound except loud sniffling. "It's alright, it's okay to cry. It's scary stuff. But...your mom's a tough lady. And so are you." 

"I don't wanna be tough," she moaned into his shirt. "I want my mom." 

"I know you do, sweetheart." McCree felt his own eyes beginning to water. "But we gotta be strong for her, okay? Can you do that?" 

Fareeha sniffled again. "I can...I can try." 

"That's all anyone can ask. But maybe I can help. How about you get your sleeping bag, and you can sleep in my room tonight, okay?" The last thing he wanted to do was leave her alone in Ana's room without her mom there. 

"Can I bring Killer?" McCree chuckled. Killer was Fareeha's stuffed orca.  

"Of course. And whoever else you want. We'll make it a party. " 

Fareeha leaned back, smiling at him from under his own hat. "Okay," she said wiping her eyes. 

That night, she sat on his shoulders as she plastered glow in the dark stars onto his ceiling, while "The Searchers" played in the background. When Fareeha was too tired to keep her eyes open, McCree tucked her into her sleeping bag on the floor next to his bed. When he turned out the lights and got under his own covers, her quiet breaths lulled him to sleep. 


	3. Chapter 3

McCree sprung out of his bed, senses on high alert. He could be a groggy sleeper most of the time, but his body knew gunshots and explosions well enough that it shot a spike of adrenaline through him even though he was sleeping.  

He was still for a moment, listening for additional sounds to try and determine what was happening. After a few seconds, he felt and faintly heard a second explosion. That cinched it.  

The alarms started as he hurriedly pulled on his boots and body armor over his sweats, and he grabbed his gun and grenades. 

Whoever that was attacking had picked a really good time. Over half the base was out on various missions and while this particular Blackwatch facility wasn't exactly common knowledge, it was still listed with the government as an Overwatch property so it wasn't exactly a secret either. 

He mentally cursed himself as another blast shook the building. He brought a weapon, but he hadn't thought to bring his phone or tablet or even his goddamn radio. He was flying in blind.  

That fact was soon made apparent when he rounded a corner into a small heard of scrappers. 

"Shit!" He fired once, hitting one in the eye, as he scrambled back behind cover. It seemed from his quick glimpse that they had carved right through the wall. Why hadn't the external security around the edge of the campus picked them up earlier? 

He heard about four of them trotting quickly towards him and he breathed deeply, readying his gun. He rolled forward, coming up into a crouch and quickly picking out his targets. Just as quickly, he downed them all with one shot to the eye lens each.  

Another blast shook the hallway, much closer this time, and he felt plaster rain down on his head. He also heard a high-pitched scream. 

He froze, and his blood ran cold. 

_Fareeha._  

He picked himself off the floor and started _sprinting_ towards her rooms. He heard another crash and a scream as he rounded the corner.  

The wall that blocked off Captain Amari's rooms was just _gone._ In its place stood a very imposing omnic eradicator.  

Its head snapped towards him.  

McCree didn't hesitate, he threw a flash grenade in its eye, followed it up with two shots, and then dove into the wreckage of the room.  

"FAREEHA!" 

"Here!" His head snapped towards the voice, although he also registered the omnic stumbling around behind them. She was crouched under a table in her pajamas, hands curled protectively over her head. He saw her look behind him and open her mouth, but he dove towards her, covering her with his body even as he collided with the table legs. Bullets peppered the ceiling above them and Fareeha screamed as a fluorescent light came crashing down around them in a shower of sparks and glass. 

McCree felt some small stinging as glass hit his bare arms. Fareeha's small fingers were gripping his armor. He could just make out her high pitched panic breathing over the sound of the din above and behind him. "Be brave, sweetheart, be brave..." He wasn't sure if she could hear him. 

The debris from the ceiling slowed, but they weren't out of the woods yet. The table over them miraculously hadn't broken, and McCree pushed it ont its side between them and the omnic. "Stay behind me!" He pushed her behind him and brought his gun over the table's edge. He took a moment to aim and he fired two shots into the robot's lenses and one into the power supply in its chest. It stumbled forward, and McCree took the opportunity to put another round into its knee joints, making it pitch forward. He reloaded, as he got up from behind the table. He moved quickly towards the robot, standing over it, and put six bullets into its head. 

It collapsed in a whirl of gears and sparks, but didn't move. 

McCree turned back to the table. "Fareeha, are you okay?" 

Small fingers, and then wide eyes, appeared above the table's edge. She nodded. She glanced down at his arm. "You're bleeding," she said quietly. 

"Just a flesh wound," he smiled at her. She didn't smile back. "What say we get out of here?" She nodded and got up from behind the table. "I'm going to carry you, okay? I know you're a fast runner, but this will be safer." She nodded again, and he leaned down to scoop her up with one arm. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms clung tightly to his neck. "You've been doing a great job at following directions so far. Can you watch our backs?" 

"Yeah," she whispered. He felt something touch his ear. "I also got a radio." 

"Great, you're doing great," he reassured her, wrapping his hand around her head to protect it. She tucked her face closer into his shoulder as he began to run.  

The chatter on the radio was incessant but precise and contained no unnecessary information. He waited a few seconds for a break, and then reported. "This is McCree, I have Fareeha Amari and we need an exit." 

_"Server room's packed, they're swarmin' in there. Me 'n Flores are holdin' it down, but it's a losing fight."_  

_"We got a Bastion unit in the Mess,"_  

"Understood," McCree growled. He made a sharp turn. "ETA for reinforcements?" 

_"Twenty minutes and the sky should light up with a shitton of Overwatch's best."_  

He took a sharp left and ran towards the executive offices. Reyes' office had a balcony that he knew from personal experience had a rain pipe he could slide down- 

"JESSE!" 

Fareeha's scream made him automatically duck to the side just as bullets tore through the hallway. 

He hit the wall and the wind was knocked out of him, making him pitch forward. He threw out his wrist to stop his fall and not crush Fareeha under him and he felt it jar uncomfortably. He continued holding on to her and scrambled into an open doorway. 

Only one omnic he knew of could fire that fast.  

He tried to report in on the radio there was a Bastion unit upstairs, but his breath came out as a wheeze. He panted harshly.  

"Jesse?" The small voice asked from under him. He looked down and she held up a bloody hand. 

"Shit," he gasped. He let her down, feeling with his hand over her stomach and legs for injuries. How could he have let this happen, she had to be alright, she _had_ to. It was getting harder to breathe, as he took in her wide, scared eyes, but he couldn't find the wound, he couldn't _find_ it... 

"Jesse, I'm fine, I'm fine!" She grabbed his hand with her own, and thrust it back towards his own stomach. 

His fingers touched something hot, wet, and slick. "Oh," he whispered. No wonder he was having such trouble breathing. And now that she'd pointed it out to him, the pain hit him like a truck. 

He suddenly felt dizzy and sick. He gasped through his teeth, struggling to not tip over onto his face.  

_"Jesse!"_  

Right, job wasn't over. He could hear she was on the verge of crying.  

"Do me a favor, and reload my gun," he handed it to her, trusting that Captain Amari had taught her only daughter how to handle a firearm. His trust wasn't misplaced, and Fareeha hurriedly though shakily, loaded his gun. He reached down to the bottom of his sweatpants while she was doing that and ripped off a huge strip up to the knee. They had to hurry, he was pretty sure he heard the clanking of the Bastion unit moving up the hallway. He stuffed the cotton under the edge of his body armor, then jammed the rest into the giant hole in his side. He grunted and breathed through his nose for a moment, not daring to move. From the look Fareeha gave him, he probably appeared like he was about to pass out at any second. 

She pushed his gun back along the floor towards him. "It's ready," she said quietly.  

"Thanks," he gasped breathlessly. She looked like she was going to cry again. "It's okay, kiddo. We're...we're gonna get out of here...and then...your mom will clean up the place." 

She sniffed, and then got a determined look on her face. "She will!" It would have been really cute if the situation hadn't been so dire. 

He tapped his radio now that he had a little more breath. "Bastion unit by the executive offices. I'm hit, but I'll manage. Fareeha Amari is unharmed." His grimaced. His voice sounded weak, even to him. 

There was a sigh of relief in answer. _"McCree, can you make it? The rest of us are pinned down. Reinforcements still 15 minutes out."_  

"Don't have much of a choice. Bation's followin' us." He could hear it getting closer.  He just had to run. With a grunt, he pulled himself to his knees, and then his feet. His side twinged painfully as he leaned over to pick up Fareeha again, who let one leg dangle so it wouldn't touch his stomach.  

He moved back towards the door, wincing as he did so. He reached up and put a few flash grenades in Fareeha's hand. "If it gets close enough the scare you...close your eyes... and throw this." 

"Okay," she whispered. 

"Hang on!" He sprinted out the door, shooting his pistol towards the omnic, surprising it.  His stomach clenched painfully, and he cried out. He heard the unit behind him begin to shift into its turret form, but at that point he was only feet from Reyes' office door. It was open a crack, damaged from the already failing building structure, and he kicked it open as hard as he could. It crumpled inwards, and he dove inside just as a hail of bullets tore through the hallway. 

He landed hard on his side, rolling so he wouldn't crush Fareeha, but he heard her grunt as she landed. His gun went skittering across the floor, and his world went white for a moment. When his vision returned, Fareeha was very frantically patting his cheeks. "Jesse! Please! Jesse!" Tears were rolling down her cheeks now. "I'm scared!" 

He pushed himself up, wrist burning from the movement, and got to his feet. Behind Fareeha, the glass doors onto the balcony beckoned. He scooped her up one last time. So close. 

He could hear the Bastion just outside, moving to cut them off again. He stumbled towards the doors, kicking them and shattering glass. He moved through shoulder first, protecting Fareeha's head. 

"You're being so brave," he reassured her. He moved to the left of the balcony, where the drain pipe ran smoothly to the ground three stories below. He gingerly swung one leg over the railing, curling it around the pipe. 

He felt Fareeha stiffen in his arms, then she leaned up on him and moved. The flashbang sounded and he glanced over his shoulder as he saw the omnic freeze, stunned. "Good girl!" He shouted as they began sliding down.  

Too late, he realized his mistake. Without being disabled, the omnic would just pick them off as they ran across the open field. He'd have to end this, now. 

They slid to the bottom, picking up speed, and McCree bent his knees for the landing. They hit hard, Fareeha rolling out of his arms. He gasped, and quickly crawled over top of her, aiming his gun back up towards the balcony.  

The bastion unit was up there, and began to shift.  

Time seemed to slow as he waited for its core to become exposed. He stopped breathing. Closed one eye. 

There. 

One shot was all it took.  

He collapsed with a sigh, and Fareeha slithered out from under him. She grabbed his wrist, pulling him up. "Jesse, we have to go!" He let her pull him, stumbling along, but his vision was turning black around the edges. He tasted blood in his mouth. Belatedly, he realized they'd made it to the treeline. He hadn't heard what she'd been saying.  

His foot hit something sticking out of the ground, and he didn't try to catch himself when he fell. He could feel the wetness spreading out from under him in the dark. Small hands patted his face and ears, but he couldn't respond.  

He hoped she'd forgive him. 

There was a huge roar of jet engines over his head and the trees around him swayed violently. A spotlight appeared, bathing them in light harsher than the sun. The transport flew other them, landing just in front of the treeline. He heard shouting, and heavy footprints. Strong hands turned him over, and he thought he made out Reyes' face. But that couldn't be true, the Commander never looked worried.  

Something pushed down hard on his abdomen, and he screamed. 

* * *

 

When his eyes opened next, the first thing he saw was a bright white ceiling. He recognized it as the infirmary. But not back at his own base, it was too pristine for that. This was the infirmary at Swiss HQ. 

His whole body ached, and it was hard to focus. He was on his back, and his chest felt really heavy. He looked down. 

_Oh_. A small body was curled up against his, her torso resting across his chest with her legs tucked into his side. He breathed a sigh of relief, his stomach twinging distantly as he did so. He remembered then the nightmare they had escaped from, the fear for her. Relief wrapped itself like an embrace around him.  

"Jesse," a voice quietly said from beside him. 

He turned his head, and saw Captain Amari sitting there. Her hat was off, and he could see there was dirt and dried flecks of blood still on her face. How long had she been sitting there? 

She stood up and moved slowly towards his bed, like every bone in her body hurt. Her hand touched his forehead, pushing some of his hair out of his face. "I can't thank you enough," she whispered. He could see tears in her eyes. 

"Please don't...cry, Captain." He breathed out, feeling tears well up in his own eyes. His voice was scratchy from disuse. She let out a quiet chuckle, still stroking his hair. It felt really nice and he sighed contentedly, letting his walls drop for a moment. He wrapped an arm around Fareeha's back, who didn't stir. "She's...worth it. Do it all again."  

Ana smiled down at him. "I want you to know, I'll do the same for you, when it comes down to it. And it will." 

He remembered something he said to Fareeha back at the base. "Did you...clean up?" 

Something dark and dangerous passed over her face. "Gabriel and I cleaned up every last one of them. And we took out the control center responsible. No one hurts our family and gets away with it." 

He gave a small nod, holding Fareeha a little tighter. "Good." 

He wasn't sure when the word family started to feel so good, but he wasn't surprised it did. 

"Rest now. She wants to play with you when you're feeling better." Ana gave one last smile before leaving the room.


	4. Chapter 4

The glass shattered in his hand, spraying whiskey everywhere. 

McCree glared at the man from under his hat. "Well, that's not very civil of ya." He rolled his cigar from one side of his mouth to the other. 

The man sneered at him, still holding his pistol up. "Well it ain't really civil messin' in my business." The rest of the bar had come to a standstill, and he had four, very grouchy men standing behind him.  

"How's about we settle this the old fashioned way, no guns?" McCree gave an easy smile. 

The man grinned maniacally and McCree caught a glimpse of rotting teeth. "Your funeral." 

Jesse put the ruined glass and his cigar down on the bar. He rolled up his sleeves, making sure the skull on his prosthetic arm was visible. The bar chuckled, the Big Ugly rolled up his sleeves as well. Mechanical gears whined loudly, in much nastier looking pair of prosthetics. He thought he even saw saw blades grinding around in the forearms.   

"Did that 'imself," one of the lackeys growled.   

McCree sighed. He would certainly have his work cut out for him. He dropped into a crouch. 

The man didn't wait. With a savage yell, he charged McCree, aiming low. McCree easily sidestepped and grabbed his shoulders, using the other man's momentum to swing him around. Right when he let go, however, something huge shattered against his back and he fell forward with a grunt.  

He turned his fall into a roll, springing up and turning around. The lackeys were in it now, holding bar stools. One appeared to be the one that had been recently shattered across his back. They looked all too happy to engage. 

"Shoulda known Deadlock wouldn't fight fair," he growled. 

"Then ya should've know not to go makin' trouble inna Deadlock bar!" Metal Arms leaped at him and McCree brought up his left arm just in time to protect his face. The two met with a clang that rang through Jesse's teeth.  

Something hit him hard in the side and he felt the wind rush out of him. He spun away, ducking someone else's swing as he did so. He back up into something solid and heavy, probably the pool table, and pushed himself up and onto it. Another bar stool slammed down where he had been standing a moment before, sending wood shards flying. He rolled away and landed on the other side of the pool table.  

Two guys followed him over, but he grabbed a cue that was on the floor and swung it savagely across one's head. He went down moaning.  

McCree threw the shards at the second guy and darted away. Metal Arms had gotten around the table by that point though and grabbed the edge of McCree's sarafe.  

He was slammed into the ground, which was followed up by a swift punch. This one _did_ rattle a few teeth, and he felt the metal fist open up his cheek. He swung up one leg, kneeing the man right in the side. Metal Arms grunted, but didn't move. He aimed another fist at him, but McCree blocked it with his own prosthetic and kneed him again. This time Metal Arms fell backwards and McCree quickly rolled away to get back to his feet.  

When he did, something wrapped around his neck and tightened. He gasped for air and flew backwards into a column. The person behind him grunted, and the rope loosened. McCree grabbed it, coughing, and tore it away. He spun around and punched the man in the face, where he crumpled to the floor.  

His throat burned as he let out another hacking cough, and he stumbled to one side as he sucked in a breath. His respite was short lived as he felt metal fingers dig into his shoulders and lift him bodily off the floor. He was flying, and squinting as he did so because suddenly the light was bright and blinding him. 

He hit dusty pavement, still struggling to breathe. Metal Arms and about three cronies were standing in front of him. It seemed like they had run out of patience, because they started pulling their guns. 

"Now...fellas..." He gasped, reaching for his own gun. 

"Shut the fuck up," Metal Arms growled, raising his gun.  

There was a whine like a jet engine, and the ground rattled as something heavy landed in front of him, blocking the sun.  

"You look like you lost a fight," the thing in front of him said. 

McCree couldn't keep the huge grin off his face, even though it hurt his now-smarting cheek. "Fight ain't over yet." 

The woman in the blue armor looked over her shoulder at him, eyes bemused under their bright yellow visor. "It is now." 

"What the fuc-" 

She straightened, pointing her right wrist towards the ground. Something shot out of it, and there were multiple screams as the men were blasted in all different directions. She then hoisted a huge...well, it was some kind of _canon_ on her left arm and pointed it at the building. Something else shot out of it, and then the whole façade was blasting away in a fiery explosion. 

McCree blinked. "You don't do anything halfway do you?" He struggled to his feet, his entire body aching. 

She turned to face him, her profile and visor cutting an imposing figure. "You didn't answer the recall." 

He messaged his jaw. "You were always pretty forward." 

She rolled her eyes and hefted her canon, and he found himself more than a little intimidated. 

"Needed to think about it," he grumbled.  

"You have something better going on?" 

Well no, not really. He'd spent a few years now whittling away at Deadlock from the edges, usually in dives like the one she'd just found him in. But he was suddenly very defensive about it. "Maybe I do," he muttered. They both knew it was a lie.  

She put her hand on his shoulder, turning the both away from the burning building. "Jesse," she said quietly. "You're not solving anything out here. Come back with me. We can do so much more. You'd be a huge asset. Be part of something." 

_Being part of something almost ruined me, last time._ He didn't think he could take it again if this Overwatch went down like the last one. Missing the only family he'd ever had hurt too much. 

"It's easier this way," he said quietly. 

"For who, for you?" Fareeha was angry now. "Rotting alone in the middle of the desert, starting bar fights with weapons smugglers? We need you, Jesse. _I_ need you. I needed you-" she stopped abruptly, and took a deep breath. "Where were you, Jesse?" She asked quietly. 

Even though in her armor she was much bigger than him, he still wrapped his arms around her neck and pulled her into a huge. "I'm so sorry I left you," he whispered.  

One of her hands wrapped around his head. "You can make it up to me," she said. She pulled back, giving him a mischievous smile. "Come with me now." 

McCree took one last look the dust-stained shit hole he wouldn't even call home, just a place he had occupied, his mind already made up.  

"You know I could never say no to you." 

She took a step back from him, her jetpack flaring to life as she smiled. "It's my turn to save _you_  now."

**Author's Note:**

> Please consider leaving a comment if you liked it. You can find me on Tumblr at redtigress dot Tumblr dot com.


End file.
